The main obstacle to the RailCats re-signing Jose Gonzalez was making sure the veteran catcher’s left hand was healed.
When the results of repeat MRI and X-rays came back clear Friday, it was full speed ahead.
Gonzalez, who has reached as high as Class AAA and was last season’s American Association Defensive Player of the Year with the RailCats, arrived Tuesday after having been released less than two weeks ago from the Minnesota Twins’ Class AA affiliate at Chattanooga. The 30-year-old from Venezuela passed his physical Wednesday ahead of the team playing Salina at the Steel Yard in its first game after the All-Star break.
Gonzalez, who in February had his contract purchased by the Twins, is scheduled to be in the lineup for one of the two games of Thursday’s doubleheader.
“I’m glad to be back,” Gonzalez said. “I just played one year with this team, but I feel like I have a good relationship with the players and the staff. I feel like I’m back home.”
The RailCats (34-28) skidded into the All-Star break by losing four straight games to match their worst streak of the season. They view Gonzalez as a key piece to the puzzle as they attempt to return to the playoffs for the first time since winning the title in 2013.
Gonzalez spent nine seasons in the Colorado Rockies organization, spending parts of 2013 and ’14 at Class AAA. He played in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 2015. His spell with Chattanooga was the sixth season he appeared at Class AA.
“This hopefully makes a statement to the ballclub and all the things he’s about — this game means everything to him,” RailCats manager Greg Tagert said.
“This club needs a little bit of influence. If we’re really going to make a run, we needed one more veteran-type player. We were missing it, the maturity. The highs and lows we’ve experienced are extreme, and hopefully Jose can come in and balance it.”
Gonzalez welcomed the role. He was expected to split time with Wilfredo Gonzalez, a player he knows from winter ball.
“I can help by playing good, I can help by talking with the guys,” Gonzalez said. “If I play hard, the young guys are going to see that and feel motivated because I have experience. They see if I can do it, so can they. I’ll just do my best.”
Gonzalez hit .156 with a homer and six RBIs in 25 games with Chattanooga. He hit .232 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 64 games with the RailCats last season.
But it’s Gonzalez’s defensive prowess that sets him apart, including his ability to throw out baserunners.
“I watch the Twins play, I have the MLB package, and if you tell me there’s a half-dozen catchers better in the big leagues than Jose Gonzalez, I will tell you absolutely not true,” Tagert said. “However, offense dictates.”
When the Twins released Gonzalez, Tagert wasn’t sure if the catcher would keep playing. Tagert said he was surprised that Gonzalez planned to continue his career, especially with coaching opportunities, including with the Rockies, awaiting him.
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Once the status of Gonzalez’s hand was squared away, he had no doubt about his path. The determination was that he had a bone bruise and tendinitis after catching a pitch off his palm and getting hit by a pitch on the back of his hand within four days.
He was still in discomfort when the Twins released him, but now he’s pain-free.
“I feel healthy and I’m in good condition to keep playing,” Gonzalez said. “I’m going to keep playing until my body tells me, or my heart. I still have gas in the tank.”
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff